5 major changes in Dota 2 patch 7.34

As the last chance qualifiers for The International draws closer, Dota 2 developers have finally released the 'TI patch' for this year. Generally, it is a small version update on the same patch with token balance adjustments. This time around, it is a much bigger patch. Compared to 7.33, which brought a rapid array of changes to the map and introduced new structures like the Twin Portals, some of the changes in 7.34 are not as obvious.

The patch makes way for a few unused heroes to find their footing in a fresh meta while nerfing the usual suspects from 7.33. These finer strokes, however, play second fiddle to the broader changes discussed in this list.

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5 biggest changes in Dota 2 patch 7.34

1) Pick/ban phase changes

A series of bans in the first phase will ensure more coterie picks in the upcoming Dota 2 tournaments (Image via Team Liquid Twitter)

Arguably the biggest change of this patch does not affect the vast majority of public matchmaking. Most Dota 2 players play the Ranked All-Pick game mode and Random Draft to a lesser extent. Captain's Mode, on the other hand, is purely the domain of professional tournaments.

This patch rearranges the pick-ban order to a great degree. Previously, the most contested heroes of the patch were either picked or banned in the first phase, which consisted of two total picks and four bans.

From 7.34 onwards, this has been changed to a total of eight bans in the very first phase. In other words, most meta heroes or particularly threatening specialist picks will get banned outright before the draft unfurls for either side.

This mitigates the oversaturation of the meta-centric heroes in a patch and, more importantly, endorses experimentation. Teams known for unorthodox picks, such as Tundra Esports, as well as those with flexible hero pools, such as Team Spirit, will benefit the most from this.

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2) Easier ganking

Mirana is one of the best ganking heroes in Dota 2 (Image via Valve)

Two major changes have made things easier across the board for teams looking to make an aggressive move. Firstly, Scan now has two charges that replenish over time. You no longer have to look for as many opportunities to get the most out of its uptime. More importantly, two Scans give you a much larger margin of error for scouting out the enemy positions.

The second and arguably bigger change is to the mechanics of the Smoke of Deceit item. The biggest tool in Dota 2 for catching the enemy unaware, an active Smoke of Deceit buff now cloaks any nearby ally whenever they are not attacking.

Before, all willing participants had to stay in the range of the Smoke of Deceit during its activation. Now any support can pop it solo and then slowly pick up the ganking party by moving to them. This makes ganking far easier and less obvious.

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3) Illusion hero nerf

Naga Siren was considered the most successful carry of Dota 2 patch 7.33 (Image via Valve)

Illusion-based carry heroes were the biggest winners in the 7.33 Dota 2 patch. The larger map made way for many more neutral camps lining the outskirts of the lanes. Illusion heroes, due to their natural ability to split-push, benefitted most from these new sources of gold and experience.

A number of meta heroes in the last patch fell into this category, most notably with the surging win rate of Naga Siren. Phantom Lancer became the terror of public matchmaking in the first version of the patch, and Terrorblade saw a resurgence as the go-to reliable carry in critical professional maps.

To address this, the 7.34 patch has nerfed illusions in a roundabout way. The following items now deal 150% damage to illusions:

• Radiance burn
• Maelstrom procs
• Mjolnir (including the active effect procs)
• Gleipnir
• Shiva's Guard (active effect)

Additionally, Disperser now applies its active slow effect to an area of effect around the units. Some additional abilities, such as Pudge's Meat Hook, now also instantly kill illusions.

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4) Slow resistance

Venomancer has one of the most iconic slow debuffs in Dota 2 (Image via Valve)

Compared to other games in the MOBA genre, the cardinal Dota 1 was infamous for the number of ridiculously long hard disables. While Dota 2 tuned it down a notch, it still has many more disables lasting longer than 2 seconds compared to other modern MOBAs.

Status resistance was introduced in the 7.07 patch as a means of countering this. This alone was not deemed enough by the balance team, as the 7.33 patch crackdown on disables nerfed many spammable stuns and roots in the game. However, this did not do much with soft disables like slows.

Slow resistance is now a different means of addressing this. Status resistance reduces the time that a slowing debuff such as Venomous Gale will affect you, while Slow resistance will mitigate its amplitude. The following items and heroes currently grant slow resistance in Dota 2:

Items

• Armlet of Mordiggian, when Unholy Strength is active, grants 35% flat slow resistance
• Vindicator's Axe grants 20% slow resistance
• Ascetic's Cap, when the Endurance active effect is triggered, grants 40% slow resistance for 5 seconds

Abilities

• Tiny's Grow grants 15%/25%/45% slow resistance permanently
• Gyrocopter's Rocket Barrage grants 20%/30%/40%/50% slow resistance when active
• IO's Overcharge now grants 30% slow resistance instead of spell amplification with Aghanim's Shard upgrade
• Sven's God's Strength now grants 30%/35%/40% slow resistance for its duration
• Ursa's Overpower additionally grants 10%/15%/20%/25% slow resistance when at least one charge is active
• Warlock's Chaotic Offering Golems have 60% slow resistance

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5) Map changes

A pair of Outposts in Dota 2 has been moved to the triangle in patch 7.34 (Image via Valve)

There are two changes to the map in Dota 2 compared to its 7.33 versions. The first is adjustments to a few Watchers.

• Main jungle Watchers for both Radiant and Dire have been moved to different locations
• Adjusted the position of the triangle Watchers

The two Watchers in question have been relocated to a different stairway in their actual jungle. They have been moved closer to the midlane, with the Radiant one being a particularly important scouting point to gank or protect the midlaner.

The Watcher in the Radiant midlane in Dota 2 patch 7.34 is a crucial tool in scouting out ganks (image via Valve)

The watchers on the triangle, on the other hand, have only been relocated slightly to make space for the Outposts. The Outposts have been moved from the main jungle to the triangles, which translates into fewer avenues to engage a Roshan fight on the defending side.